GemFair News
GemFair seeks to foster economic development for artisanal and small-scale miners by providing them with:
Creating a digital record of the diamonds found at registered mine sites.
Miners are trained by GemFair and can access tutorials prepared by leading diamond experts.
Miners receive fair value for their diamonds.
GemFair is developing a tailored technology that includes an app and dedicated tablet, supported by a diamond toolkit. This solution seeks to enable the digital tracking of artisanal and small-scale mined (ASM) diamonds throughout the supply chain.
We welcome any feedback and questions on our programme. If you have a question that is not addressed below, please email us at hello@gemfair.com, and we will get back to you shortly.
GemFair is a pilot project that aims to create a secure and transparent route to market for ethically-sourced artisanal and small-scale mined (ASM) diamonds. By providing artisanal and small-scale miners with access to the global market, offering fair prices and training opportunities, GemFair hopes to improve miners’ livelihoods and foster the sector’s development as a credible and trusted source of diamond supply.
GemFair’s proposed solution combines dedicated software (an app) and hardware (diamond toolkit) that seeks to enable the digital tracking of ASM diamonds throughout the supply chain and addresses key challenges and risks relating to artisanal and small-scale mining activity. The pilot will initially run in Sierra Leone, where the government has already made significant progress in formalising the artisanal mining sector.
The artisanal diamond mining sector employs an estimated 1.5 million people in developing countries. Although the task is challenging, GemFair believes that the artisanal mining sector should be recognised and included in international trade. The aim of this project is to support the sector’s drive for formalisation and contribute to its development.
The Government of Sierra Leone has made great strides in formalising the ASM sector, and we believe that GemFair can offer an unprecedented opportunity to take this process to the next level. Our decision to pilot the project in Sierra Leone was also influenced by the fact that the Diamond Development Initiative (DDI), an NGO that works to transform the ASM diamond sector, has been present in Sierra Leone for several years and enabled GemFair to pilot its innovative solution with their cooperating mine sites.
If the pilot is successful in Sierra Leone, GemFair will be looking to expand to other African countries. If you are a government official, a donor or an NGO and would like to speak to the GemFair team, please get in touch.
GemFair aims to empower miners by teaching them about diamond valuation and improving their livelihoods by offering them a consistently better deal. GemFair will focus on supporting the government and other development stakeholders in bringing traceability to the supply chain and formalising the ASM-sector using an innovative digital solution. We will be measuring our impact rigorously through qualitative and quantitative surveys as well as various monitoring and evaluation activities.
Artisanal miners must pass our initial due diligence checks—which are closely aligned with the OECD’s Due Diligence Guidance for Sourcing Minerals from Conflict-Affected and High-Risk Areas Annex II—including proving that they possess a license to operate. Our due diligence verification includes a site visit to gather information about the mine’s precise location and working conditions, ensuring that our gated criteria is being met. We also screen the candidate through an international database. Once a candidate passes our gated criteria, they join our assurance programme, where we provide a suite of training and capacity building for miners and their workers to raise their standards. You can find more information on the GemFair Responsible Artisanal and Small-Scale Mining Assurance Programme here.
We are developing a tailored technology solution with dedicated hardware and software. These have been designed to meet the ASM sector’s particular requirements, both in terms of being practical (weatherproof, hard-wearing, functioning in different light conditions) and risk-mitigating (featuring digitally supported bag-and-tag equipment and GPS location of diamonds). If proven successful, the technology used in GemFair will be integrated into the industry blockchain platform De Beers is currently developing, providing an added layer of assurance for ASM production.
The pilot will focus exclusively on diamonds. However, with minor tweaks to the software, the solution could potentially be used for other minerals in the future.
Join us on our mission to create equal opportunities for all by supporting artisanal mining and unlocking global markets. We are always looking for talented and passionate people to join our team. If you don't see an open position for the role that you are interested in, please do not hesitate to reach out directly to jobs@gemfair.com.